In recent years it has become economically favorable to consider solar energy for heating systems, particularly for heating domestic or industrial hot water. Various types of systems are proposed or used, some of which heat the water directly and some heat an intermediate fluid which in turn is circulated to heat the water supply. The present invention is a direct heating system. Of the direct heating types there are also a wide variety of systems. Broad area panels are used, panels with numerous small pipes or other water carriers, panels with pipes affixed to radiation absorbers in heat conductive relationship, and many other types and kinds.
The various solar heating systems almost seem to have a single common characteristic. Because of escalating energy costs they seek to save money by substituting cost-free energy of the sun for expensive energy from fossil fuels; and to make efficient use of this free energy they are designed and constructed in sophisticated and expensive ways, and tossing away their advantages and the reasons for using solar heat. The present invention, on the contrary, is deeply concerned with manufacturing cost and installation cost, using simple, basic components which are readily available and as inexpensive as possible, thus conforming with the fact of cost-free sunlight.